XML 95 R82.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.19.1

INVESTMENTS IN AFFILIATES - Tax equity transactions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2018 | Oct. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Oct. 31, 2015 | Aug. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2015
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payment received recognized as revenue |  |  |  |  |  | $ 47,102 |  |
Class A membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Receipt of future cash flow distributions (as a percent) | 51.00% |  |  |  |  | 51.00% |  |
Class B membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Receipt of future cash flow distributions (as a percent) | 49.00% |  |  |  |  | 49.00% |  |
Value wrote down | $ 5,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tranquillity, Garland, and Roserock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payment received recognized as revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 190,400
Tranquillity, Garland, and Roserock | Class A membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Further contribution |  |  |  |  |  | $ 5,908,000 | $ 0 |
Tranquillity, Garland, and Roserock | Class B membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of interest sold |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Tranquillity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership percentage |  |  |  |  |  |  | 49.00% |
Net assets derecognized |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 93,900
Tranquillity | Class A membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of interest sold |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |
Proceeds from sale of membership interest |  |  |  |  | $ 100,000 |  |  |
Tranquillity | Class B membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership percentage |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |
Garland |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership percentage |  |  |  |  |  |  | 49.00% |
Net assets derecognized |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 56,400
Silverlake | Class A membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of interest sold |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |
Proceeds from sale of membership interest |  |  |  | $ 49,000 |  |  |  |
Silverlake | Class B membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership percentage |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |
Roserock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership percentage | 49.00% |  |  |  |  | 49.00% | 49.00% |
Net assets derecognized |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 23,500
Roserock | Class A membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of interest sold |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from sale of membership interest |  |  | $ 45,000 |  |  |  |  |
Roserock | Class B membership interests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity transactions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership percentage |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  | 100.00%

X
- Definition Percentage of cash flow distributions to members. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | csiq_CashFlowDistributionPercentage
Namespace Prefix: | csiq_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The decrease of net assets after tax equity transactions. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | csiq_DecreaseOfNetAssets
Namespace Prefix: | csiq_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | csiq_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentageSold
Namespace Prefix: | csiq_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | csiq_TaxEquityTransactionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | csiq_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition This item represents an other than temporary decline in value that has been recognized against an investment accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the investment represents the amount of the write down which is or was reflected in earnings. The written down value is a new cost basis with the adjusted value of the investment becoming its new carrying value subject to the equity accounting method. Evidence of a loss in value might include, but would not necessarily be limited to, absence of an ability to recover the carrying amount of the investment or inability of the investee to sustain an earnings capacity which would justify the carrying amount of the investment. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 35 -Paragraph 32 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001220&loc=d3e32787-111569 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOtherThanTemporaryImpairment
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (a)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of an equity method investment. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 220 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(b)(7)(c)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115205541&loc=SL114868664-224227 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 220 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(b)(9)(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115205541&loc=SL114868664-224227 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentRealizedGainLossOnDisposal
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The cash outflow from the amount invested for projects in hopes of getting a future return or interest from it. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3213-108585 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireProjects
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The cash inflow from the sale of investment projects held by an entity in hopes of getting a future return or interest from it. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3179-108585 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfInvestmentProjects
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_CapitalUnitsByClassAxis=us-gaap_CapitalUnitClassAMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_CapitalUnitsByClassAxis=us-gaap_CapitalUnitClassBMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | srt_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=csiq_TranquillityGarlandAndRoserockMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | srt_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=csiq_ReTranquillityHoldingsLlcMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | srt_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=csiq_ReGarlandHoldingsLlcMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | srt_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=csiq_ReSilverlakeHoldingsLlcMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | srt_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=csiq_ReRoserockHoldingsLlcMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |